U.S. patent number 8,843,678 [Application Number 13/430,374] was granted by the patent office on 2014-09-23 for method and system for a configurable connector for ethernet applications.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Broadcom Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is Kevin Brown, Wael William Diab, Michael Johas Teener. Invention is credited to Kevin Brown, Wael William Diab, Michael Johas Teener.
United States Patent |
8,843,678 |
Diab , et al. |
September 23, 2014 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Method and system for a configurable connector for ethernet
applications
Abstract
Aspects of a method and apparatus for a configurable connector
for Ethernet are provided. In this regard, a configurable Ethernet
connector residing in an Ethernet enabled communication device may
couple the communication devise to one or more twisted pairs and
enable communication of Ethernet frames over the twisted pair(s).
Conductors of each of the twisted pairs may make contact with
adjacent pins of the configurable Ethernet connector. A size and
shape of the configurable Ethernet connector may enable housing of
more than 48 instances of the configurable Ethernet connector in a
single standard size one rack unit face plate of a 19-inch rack.
The configurable Ethernet connector may provide mechanical and
electrical indications that enable a device coupled to the
configurable Ethernet connector to determine configuration
information of the configurable Ethernet connector. The information
may indicate presence or absence of various components within
and/or on the configurable Ethernet connector.
Inventors: |
Diab; Wael William (San
Francisco, CA), Brown; Kevin (Long Beach, CA), Teener;
Michael Johas (Santa Cruz, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Diab; Wael William
Brown; Kevin
Teener; Michael Johas |
San Francisco
Long Beach
Santa Cruz |
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Broadcom Corporation (Irvine,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
45467330 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/430,374 |
Filed: |
March 26, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20120246358 A1 |
Sep 27, 2012 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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12853945 |
Mar 27, 2012 |
8145814 |
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61365189 |
Jul 16, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
710/62; 710/300;
709/250 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L
12/10 (20130101); H04L 12/40045 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
13/12 (20060101); G06F 13/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;710/62-64,300-303
;709/250 ;439/676 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Shin; Christopher
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein &
Fox P.L.L.C.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/853,945,
filed Aug. 10, 2010, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 8,145,814 on
Mar. 27, 2012, which claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/365,189 filed on Jul. 16, 2010.
Each of the above identified applications is hereby incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety.
This patent application makes reference to:
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/701,381 entitled "Method and
System for a Connector with Integrated Shield Detection" filed on
Feb. 5, 2010;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/702,173 entitled "Method and
Apparatus for an Ethernet Connector Comprising an Integrated PHY"
filed on Feb. 8, 2010;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/731,908 entitled "Method and
System for Ethernet Converter and/or Adapter That Enables
Conversion between a Plurality of Different Ethernet Interfaces"
filed on Mar. 25, 2010;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/731,933 entitled "Method and
System for Determining Characteristics of an Attached Ethernet
Connector and/or Cable" filed on Mar. 25, 2010;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/752,065 entitled "Method and
System for a Connector with Integrated Power over Ethernet
Functionality" filed on Mar. 31, 2010;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/785,102 entitled "Method and
System for Connector and/or Cable with Configurable Antenna for
Ethernet and Wireless Applications" filed on May 21, 2010;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/813,296 entitled "Method and
System for Patch Panel Port Identification and Verification" filed
on Jun. 10, 2010;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/828,484 entitled "Method and
System for a Connection System Operable to Sink and Source Supply
Power" filed on Jul. 1, 2010;
U.S. Patent Application No. 61/365,211 entitled "Method and System
for Modularized Configurable Connector System for Ethernet
Applications" filed on Jul. 16, 2010;
Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for networking, the method comprising: in an Ethernet
enabled communication device comprising a first configurable
Ethernet connector having a first plurality of adjacent pins in a
front portion thereof configured for connection to a first twisted
pair cable and a first plurality of electrical contacts extending
outwardly from a first side thereof, and a second configurable
Ethernet connector having a second plurality of adjacent pins in a
front portion thereof configured for connection to a second twisted
pair cable and a second plurality of electrical contacts extending
outwardly from a second side thereof; communicating Ethernet frames
via a twisted pair of the first twisted pair cable that is in
direct physical contact with the first configurable Ethernet
connector: communicating Ethernet frames via a twisted pair of the
second twisted pair cable that is in direct physical contact with
the second configurable Ethernet connector; and contacting,
electrically, the first configurable Ethernet connector and the
second configurable Ethernet connector via the first and second
plurality of electrical contacts; wherein the first configurable
Ethernet connector provides mechanical and electrical indications
that enable a device coupled to the first configurable Ethernet
connector to determine configuration information of the first
configurable Ethernet connector.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information
indicates presence or absence of various components within and/or
on the first configurable Ethernet connector.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the components comprise a memory
device configured to store a configuration and/or capabilities of
the first configurable Ethernet connector.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the components comprise an
Ethernet physical layer transceiver (PHY).
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the components comprise a
circuit, or a processor or a combination of a circuit and a
processor that are configured to manage supply power sourced and/or
sinked via the first configurable Ethernet connector.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein the components comprise a
solid-state switch that is configurable via a control signal; and a
configuration of the solid-state switch determines which pins of
the first configurable Ethernet connector are coupled to which
ports of an Ethernet physical layer transceiver (PHY).
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control signal is generated
by the Ethernet PHY.
8. The method of claim 1, Wherein the configuration information
indicates whether the Ethernet enabled communication device sources
or sinks power.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information
indicates which ones of the twisted pairs are to be utilized for
communicating the Ethernet frames.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information
indicates which ones of the twisted pairs are to be utilized for
delivery of supply power.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configurable Ethernet
connector supports one or more of 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T, 1GBASE-T,
10GBASE-T, 40GBASE-T, and 100GBASE-T.
12. A system for networking, the system comprising: a first
configurable Ethernet connector having a plurality of adjacent pins
in a front portion thereof configured for connection to a first
twisted pair cable and a first plurality of electrical contacts
extending outwardly from a first side thereof, and a second
configurable Ethernet connector having a second plurality of
adjacent pins in a front portion thereof configured for connection
to a second twisted pair cable and a second plurality of electrical
contacts extending outwardly from a second side thereof, each
physically coupled to an Ethernet-enabled communication device,
wherein: the Ethernet-enabled communication device is configured to
communicate Ethernet frames via a twisted pair of the first
configurable Ethernet connector and of the second configurable
Ethernet connector; conductors of a twisted pair of the first
twisted pair cable make contact with adjacent pins of the first
configurable Ethernet connector; and the first configurable
Ethernet connector provides mechanical and electrical indications
that enable a device coupled to the first configurable Ethernet
connector to determine configuration information of the first
configurable Ethernet connector.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the configuration information
indicates presence or absence of various components within and/or
on the first configurable Ethernet connector.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the components comprise a
memory device configured to store configuration and/or capabilities
of the first configurable Ethernet connector.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the components comprise an
Ethernet physical layer transceiver (PHY).
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the components comprise one or
more circuits and/or processors that are configured to manage
supply power sourced and/or sinked via the first configurable
Ethernet connector.
17. The system of claim 13 wherein: the components comprise a
solid-state switch that is configurable via a control signal; and a
configuration of the solid-state switch determines which pins of
the first configurable Ethernet connector are coupled to which
terminals of an Ethernet physical layer transceiver (PHY).
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control signal is generated
by the Ethernet PHY.
19. The system of claim 12, wherein the configuration information
indicates whether the Ethernet-enabled communication device sources
or sinks power.
20. A method for networking, the method comprising: in an Ethernet
enabled communication device comprising a first configurable
Ethernet connector having a first plurality of adjacent pins in a
front portion thereof configured for connection to a first twisted
pair cable and a first plurality of electrical contacts extending
outwardly from a first side thereof, and a second configurable
Ethernet connector having a second plurality of adjacent pins in a
front portion thereof configured for connection to a second twisted
pair cable and a second plurality of electrical contacts extending
outwardly from a second side thereof, communicating Ethernet frames
via a twisted pair of the first twisted pair cable that is in
direct physical contact with the first configurable Ethernet
connector; communicating Ethernet frames via a twisted pair of the
second twisted pair cable that is in direct physical contact with
the second configurable Ethernet connector; wherein the first
configurable Ethernet connector is smaller than an RJ45 connector,
and includes a printed circuit board; wherein the first
configurable Ethernet connector provides mechanical and electrical
indications that enable a device coupled to the first configurable
Ethernet connector to determine configuration information of the
first configurable Ethernet connector.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Certain embodiments of the invention relate to networking. More
specifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a
method and system for a configurable connector for Ethernet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Communication devices may incorporate a plurality of features, for
example, a mobile phone, a digital camera, an Internet browser, a
gaming device, a Bluetooth headphone interface and/or a location
device. In this regard, the communication devices may be operable
to communicate via a plurality of wire-line and/or wireless
networks such as local area networks, wide area networks, wireless
local area networks, cellular networks and wireless personal area
networks, for example. In this regard, endpoint devices may
communicate via various wireless and/or wire-line switches,
routers, hubs, access points and/or base stations.
Many communication devices may communicate via twisted pair cables
which may comprise pairs of copper wire that are twisted together.
Various numbers of twists or turns in the wire pairs may enable
mitigation of common mode electromagnetic interference. Twisted
pair cabling may be shielded and/or unshielded. Shielding may
comprise a conductive material that may enable grounding of the
cable. The shielding may enclose a single pair of twisted wires
and/or may enclose a plurality of pairs. The shielding may comprise
foil and/or a braided sheath, for example. In this regard, the
shielding may mitigate cross talk between twisted pairs and/or
between a plurality of cables. Various properties of a cable, for
example, wire gauge, safety information, category, verification of
testing, inner shielding, outer shielding, no shielding, type of
use, such as patch cord, and/or country of manufacture may be
imprinted on the cable jacket during manufacture.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and
traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the
art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the
present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present
application with reference to the drawings.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A system and/or method is provided for a configurable connector for
Ethernet, substantially as illustrated by and/or described in
connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more
completely in the claims.
These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the
present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment
thereof, will be more fully understood from the following
description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary Ethernet
enabled communication device comprising a configurable Ethernet
connector wherein various components may be present or absent based
on an implementation and/or use of the connector, in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating connectors which comprise
electrical characteristics to indicate whether power is to be
sourced or sinked, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 1C is a block diagram illustrating connectors which comprise
electro-mechanical characteristics to indicate whether power is to
be sourced or sinked, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 2A is a three dimensional representation of exemplary
embodiments of Ethernet connectors, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating exemplary embodiments of a
configurable connector for Ethernet applications, in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating termination of twisted pairs in a
configurable Ethernet connector, in accordance with an embodiment
of the invention.
FIG. 4A depicts a block diagram illustrating ganging together of
multiple connectors, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 4B is a three dimensional view of an Ethernet connector which
may be ganged together with other connectors, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating two ganged Ethernet connectors,
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an Ethernet
connector with an integrated solid-state switch, in accordance with
an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and
system for a configurable connector for Ethernet applications. In
various embodiments of the invention, a configurable Ethernet
connector residing in an Ethernet enabled communication device may
couple the communication device to one or more twisted pairs and
enable communication of Ethernet frames over the one or more
twisted pairs. Conductors of each of the twisted pairs may make
contact with adjacent pins of the configurable Ethernet connector.
A size and shape of the configurable Ethernet connector may enable
housing of more than 48 instances of the configurable Ethernet
connector in a single standard size one rack unit face plate of a
19-inch rack. The configurable Ethernet connector may provide
mechanical and electrical indications that enable a device coupled
to the configurable Ethernet connector to determine configuration
information of the configurable Ethernet connector. The information
may indicate presence or absence of various components within
and/or on the configurable Ethernet connector. The components may
comprise a memory device which stores a configuration and/or
capabilities of the configurable Ethernet connector. The components
may comprise an Ethernet physical layer transceiver (PHY). The
components may comprise one or more circuits and/or processors that
are operable to manage supply power that may be sourced and/or
sinked via the connector. The components may comprise a solid-state
switch that is configurable via one or more control signals, and a
configuration of the solid-state switch determines which pins of
the Ethernet connector are coupled to which port(s) of an Ethernet
PHY. The one or more control signals are generated by the Ethernet
PHY.
The configuration information may indicate whether the Ethernet
device sources or sinks power. The configuration information may
indicate which ones of the twisted pairs are to be utilized for
communicating the Ethernet frames. The configuration information
may indicate which ones of the twisted pairs are to be utilized for
delivery of supply power. The configurable Ethernet connector may
comprise one or more first interfaces that enable electrically
coupling the connector to a cable assembly, one or more second
interfaces that enable electrically coupling the configurable
Ethernet connector to a device that the configurable Ethernet
connector is mounted within or on, and one or more third interfaces
that enable electrically coupling the configurable Ethernet
connector to a corresponding one or more other connectors that are
mounted on or within the device. The configurable Ethernet
connector may support one or more of 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T, 1GBASE-T,
10GBASE-T, 40GBASE-T. and 100GBASE-T.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary Ethernet
enabled communication device comprising a configurable Ethernet
connector wherein various components may be present or absent based
on an implementation and/or use of the connector, in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1A, there is
shown a networking enabled device 102a and a connection system 134.
The networking enabled device 102a may comprise a host subsystem
104, a networking subsystem 106, and a configurable Ethernet
connector 112.
The networking enabled device 102a may comprise suitable logic,
circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to perform
computing and/or networking functions. An exemplary networking
enabled device 102a may comprise a router, a switch, a patch panel,
a laptop, a portable phone, a media player, a location device, a
television, a set-top-box, a camera and/or a gaming device. The
networking enabled device 102a may be operable to communicate via
the connection system 134 based on a plurality of different
standardized and/or non-standardized communication protocols and/or
communication technologies, for example, based on various Ethernet
protocols.
The host subsystem 104 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,
interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to perform
computations and/or executing instructions in the networking
enabled device 102a. For example the host subsystem 104 may
comprise one or more state machines and/or may run an operating
system. The host subsystem 104 may perform computations and/or
execute instructions to generate messages for transmission via the
networking subsystem 106. The host subsystems 104 may perform
computations and/or execute instructions to process messages
received via the networking subsystem 106. The host subsystem 104
may interface with the networking subsystem 106 via a data bus 107
which may be, for example, a PCI-X bus. In some embodiments of the
invention, the host subsystem 104 may interface with various
components in the connector 112 via one or more signals 105. The
signals 105 may, for example, comprise one or more discrete control
signals and/or one or more of the signals 105 may be communicated
via a data bus such as an I.sup.2C bus or SMBus.
The networking subsystem 106 may comprise suitable logic,
circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to handle
functionality of OSI layer 1 and higher OSI layers in the
networking enabled device 102a, respectively. The networking
subsystem 106 may be operable to implement switching, routing,
and/or network interface card (NIC) functions. The networking
subsystem 106 may be operable to implement Ethernet protocols, such
as those based on the IEEE 802.3 standard, for example, but is not
limited in this regard. The networking subsystem 106 may comprise,
for example, a media access control (MAC) controller 108. However,
in some instances the MAC 108, or portions thereof, may be
integrated into the connector 112. The networking subsystem 106 may
comprise, for example, an Ethernet physical layer device (PHY) 116.
However, in some instances the Ethernet PHY 116 may be integrated
into the connector 112.
The connection system 134 may comprise the configurable Ethernet
connector 112, a cable 133, and another connector or termination
(not shown) on a link partner. The cable 133 may comprise the
connector 120, one or more twisted pairs 126, and one or more
connectors or other terminations (not shown) on the opposite end.
The twisted pairs 126 may comprise, for example, insulated twisted
pairs of aluminum or copper. Characteristics of the cable 133, such
as number of twisted pairs 126 within the cable 133, presence of
shielding 132, length of the cable 133, and/or wire gauge used for
the twisted pairs 126 may determine which protocols and/or which
data rates the cable 133 may be operable to support. The optional
shield 132 may comprise, for example, foil and/or a braided sheath
around and/or along a length of one or more twisted pairs. For
example, one or more individual twisted pairs 126 may be shielded
via one or more corresponding shields 132, and/or a plurality of
twisted pairs 126 may be encased in a single shield 132. The
optional shield 132 may be grounded by the networking enabled
device 102a via the connector 112, for example.
The connectors 112 and 120 may enable coupling the device 102a to
the cable 133. In various embodiments of the invention, the
connector 112 and the connector 120 may be suited for Ethernet
communications and the connectors 112 and 120 may be small enough
to fit into a handheld device and/or small enough such that more
than 48 of the connectors 112 and/or 120 may fit into a standard
size one rack unit face plate of a 19-rack rack. Upon mating of the
connector 120 to the connector 112, the pins 119.sub.0-119.sub.N
may be in conductive contact with the pins 113.sub.0-113.sub.N,
respectively. The term "connector" is used generically herein to
encompass both receptacles and plugs. In this regard, whether a
connector is a receptacle that accepts a plug or whether a
connector is a plug that inserts into a receptacle may be
implementation dependant and unimportant in various embodiments of
the invention.
In various embodiments of the invention, the connection system 134
may comprise various characteristics. Such characteristics may
include the length of the cable 133, the gauge of the wires of the
twisted pairs 126, the presence or absence of the shielding 132,
and the type of shielding 132. A system designer may select a
particular characteristics, that is, select a particular
configuration of the connection platform 134, based on, for
example, the amount and/or type of data the device 102a the device
is expected to handle, the environment in which the connection
platform resides, whether energy efficiency is a priority for the
device 102a, and/or a desired cost and/or performance of the system
100. In order to ensure compatibility between various portions of
the connection platform 134, the connector 112 and/or the connector
120 may be keyed or comprise some other mechanical means for
ensuring that only connectors 112 and 120 having compatible
configurations may be mated.
Characteristics of the connection platform may also include a
configuration of the connector 112 and/or the connector 120. The
connectors 112 and 120 may be configurable in a variety of
ways.
One exemplary way in which the connectors 112 and/or 120 may be
configurable is that the number and placement of the pins 113 may
be variable. For example, in some configurations, the connector 112
and/or the connector 120 may comprise more pins for interfacing to
more twisted pairs and in some configurations it may have fewer
pins for interfacing with fewer twisted pairs. The type of pins may
refer to, for example, the material the pins are made of, e.g.,
gold, copper, aluminum, or tin. Additionally or alternatively, the
type of pins may refer to the function of the pins. For example, in
some instances the connector 112 and/or the connector 120 may
comprise sense pins or other pins that indicate a configuration of
the connector 112 and/or the connector 120.
Another exemplary way in which the connectors 112 and/or 120 may be
configurable is that various electronic components may be present
or absent within and/or the connectors 112 and/or 120. That is,
various configurations of the connector 112 and/or 120 may have
various electronic components installed, e.g., by soldering them to
a PCB, or not installed. For example, the connectors 112 and/or 120
may each comprise a printed circuit board (PCB) having solder lands
that accept various components, and different configurations of the
connector 112 and/or the connector 120 may have different
components populated and unpopulated and/or may have different
versions of components populated. For example, different versions
of components may comprise different models of the components
having different capabilities or features. Exemplary components
which may or may not be populated within and/or on the connector
112 and/or 120 may comprise, for example, a media access controller
(MAC) or MAC functions 108, a physical layer transceiver (PHY) 116,
a non-volatile memory (NVM) 150, a power over Ethernet (PoE) module
113, a module 154 that configures whether power is sourced or sunk
by the device 102a, magnetics 114, one or more light emitting
diodes (LEDs) 152, and a module 158 which may be operable to
participate in network management protocols.
The MAC 108 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces,
and/or code that may be operable to perform data encapsulation
and/or media access management, where media access management may
comprise operations that handle conflicts arising from multiple
networking enabled devices sharing the cable 133 and/or from
multiple applications, processes, or virtual machines within the
networking enabled device 102a sharing the connection system 134.
In this regard, each MAC 108 may provide an interface between the
PHY 116 and the host subsystem 104. Each MAC 108 may communicate
with the PHY 116 via a media independent interface (xxMII). In this
regard, "media independent interface (xxMII)" is utilized
generically herein and may refer to a variety of interfaces
including, but not limited to, a media independent interface (MII),
a gigabit MII (GMII), a reduced full (RMII), reduced gigabit MII
(RGMII), and 10 gigabit MII (XGMII). The xxMII may comprise a
carrier sense signal (CRS) which may be utilized to manage a rate
at which data is communicated between the PHY 116 and the MAC 108.
In various embodiments of the invention, integrating the MAC 108,
or portions thereof operable to implement MAC functions, into the
connector 112 may enable the connector 112 may handle media access.
In this manner, multiple connectors 112 with integrated MAC
functions may replace a single legacy connector. For example,
multiple connectors 112 may fit into the solder land pattern and
area of the device 102a previously occupied by a legacy connector.
In this way, the number of ports on the networking device 102a may
be increased by replacing the single legacy connector with a
plurality of connectors 112.
The PHY 116 may comprise, for example, a twisted pair Ethernet PHY
capable of operating at a variable data rate. In this regard, each
PHY 116 may be operable to adjust a data rate at which it
communicates based on characteristics of the connection system 134
via which it communicates. The PHY 116 may, for example, enable
multi-rate Ethernet communications. For example, the PHY 116 may be
operable to communicate at any of 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5
Gbps, 4 Gbps, 8 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps. In this
regard, the networking subsystem 106 may support standard-based
data rates and/or nonstandard data rates. The PHY 116 may be
operable to achieve various data rates and/or implement various
Ethernet protocols via configuration of various parameters.
Exemplary parameters that may be configured in the PHY 116 to
control the data rate may comprise the number of twisted pairs 126
over which the PHY 116 communicates, which one(s) of the twisted
pairs over which the PHY 116 communicates, the symbol rate at which
the PHY 116 operates, the encoding or modulation scheme utilized by
the PHY 116, the inter-frame gap time, various buffer sizes, and/or
various thresholds. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention,
the PHY 116 may be configured based on the traffic that it handles.
For example, if traffic is heavier in one direction than in the
other direction, the PHY 116 may be configured to operate in an
asymmetrical mode where outbound data and inbound data may be
communicated at different rates. Similarly, the rate at which the
PHY 116 communicates and the number of channels over which the PHY
116 communicates may be determined based on characteristics of the
connection system 134. For example, the PHY 116 may be operable to
communicate at higher rates and/or via more channels when coupled
to shorter and/or larger diameter cabling, and communicate at lower
rates and/or via fewer channels when coupled to longer and/or
smaller diameter cabling. Additional details regarding a connector
comprising an integrated PHY are described in co-pending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/702,173 referenced above.
The NVM 150 may comprise, for example, a programmable ROM which may
store information about the connector 112. In this regard, the host
subsystem 104 and/or the networking subsystem 106 may be operable
to read the contents of the NVM 150 to determine characteristics of
the connector 112. For example, the contents of the NVM 150 may
indicate whether various components are present in the connector
112 and/or a configuration of components present in the connector
112. Additional details regarding a connector comprising an
integrated NVM are described in co-pending U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 12/731,033 referenced above.
The PoE module 118 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,
interfaces, and/or code operable to condition, regulate, and/or
otherwise manage or control supply power available and/or drawn via
the connection system 134. Additional details of a connector
comprising an integrated PoE module are described in co-pending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/752,065 referenced above.
The module 154 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces,
and/or code operable to configure the connector 112 based on
whether the device 102a sources and/or sinks supply power via the
connector 112. Additional details of a connector comprising an
integrated module such as the module 154 are described in
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/828,484 referenced
above.
The magnetics 114 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,
interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to couple the signal
bus 117 to pins 113 of the connector 112. In this regard, the
magnetics 114 may provide noise and/or EMI suppression and/or may
impedance match the signal bus 117 to the connector 120 and the
twisted pairs 126. In this regard, the magnetics 114 may comprise
one or more transformers and/or one or more inductive chokes. In
some instances, the magnetics 114 may also comprise other
components such as resistors, capacitors, and/or inductors for
achieving impedance matching, isolation, and/or noise and/or EMI
suppression. In various embodiments of the invention, whether the
magnetics 114, or portions thereof, are populated in the connector
112 may depend on, for example, the noise that the networking
device 102a is expected to tolerate, the length of the cable 133
over which the networking device 102a will be expected to
communicate, and/or whether the networking subsystem 102a will be
tied to a fixed potential, e.g., "grounded," or whether it will be
"floating." In this manner, by populating or not populating the
magnetics 114, or portions thereof, different variants of the
connector 112 may be manufactured for different use cases.
Additional details of a connector comprising integrated magnetics
are described in one or more of the co-pending United States Patent
Applications referenced above.
The LED(s) 150 may be operable to indicate characteristics and/or
status of the connection system 134. For example, the LED(s) 150
may indicate whether the connector 112 and 120 are properly mated,
whether the shield 134 is present, whether data is being
communicated over the cable 133, a length of the cable 133, whether
the opposite end of the cable 133 is mated with a networking
enabled device, whether various components are present in the
connector 112 and/or 120, and/or a configuration of one or more
components present in the connector 112 and/or 120. Additional
details of a connector comprising one or more integrated LEDs are
described in one or more of the co-pending United States Patent
Applications referenced above.
The module 156 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces,
and/or code operable to implement one or more network management
protocols such as simple network management protocol (SNMP), link
layer discovery protocol (LLDP), and data center bridging exchange
(DCBX) may be integrated on and/or within the connector 112 and/or
the connector 120. In this regard, packets in accordance with one
or more network management protocols may be generated and/or parsed
or deconstructed in the connector 112 and/or the connector 120.
That is, one or more network management protocols may be terminated
in the connector 112 and/or the connector 120. In this manner,
various components of the connector 112 and/or other portions of
the networking enabled device 102a may be configured and/or
otherwise managed based on management information received over a
network. Similarly, information recovered from one or more LLDP
packet may be conveyed to the host subsystem 104 and/or the
networking subsystem 106.
In operation, the networking enabled device 102a may be operable to
determine characteristics of the connection system 134. Such a
determination may result from an electrical and/or mechanical
indication provided by the connector 112 and/or 120.
In various embodiments of the invention, the presence of one or
more pins, a voltage on one or more pins, and/or mechanical
characteristics of the connector 120 that is mated with the
connector 110. The type of pins may refer to the function of the
pins. For example, in some instances the connector 112 and/or the
connector 120 may comprise sense pins or other pins that indicate a
configuration of the connector 112 and/or the connector 120. Also,
a first set of electrical and/or mechanical features on a connector
120 may indicate a first configuration and a second set of
electrical or mechanical features on a connector 120 may indicate a
second configuration. In this regard, FIG. 1B illustrates a an
exemplary embodiment of the invention in which connector 120A
comprises a conductor 150 which ties the sense pin to V+ to
indicate a first configuration, and a connector 1203 comprises a
conductor 152 which ties the sense pin to V- to indicate a second
configuration. In another embodiment of the invention, shown in
FIG. 1C, the connector 112 comprises contacts 160A and 160B, which,
when shorted together, may indicate a first configuration and when
not electrically shorted may indicate a second configuration.
Accordingly, the connector 120 may comprise a knock-out 162 which
may electrically short the contacts 160A and 160B when present and
may leave the contacts 160A and 160B open circuited when absent.
Accordingly, the connector 120A may indicate that it configured one
way and the connector 1203 may indicate that it is configured
another way.
In various embodiments of the invention, the indication may
comprise transient signals generated by components integrated into
the connector 112 and/or the connector 120. For example, upon
mating of the connectors, the data may be read out from the NVM 150
and communicated to the device 102a and/or to the device (not
shown) coupled to the other end of the cable 133. As another
example, upon mating the connectors, the module 156 and the PHY 116
may interact to send one or more messages in accordance with a
management protocols. The management protocol message(s) may be
sent to the device 102a and/or to the device on the other end of
the cable 133.
Characteristics of the connection platform 134, may determine a
mode of operation of the device 102a. For example, a data rate at
which the device 102a communicates over the connection platform
134, which protocols are supported by the device 102a, whether the
device 102a supplies or sinks power via the connection platform
134, and an amount of power supplied or sinked by the device 102a
via the connection platform 134 may be determined based on
characteristics of the connection platform 134.
FIG. 2A is a three dimensional representation of exemplary
embodiments of Ethernet connectors, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown
the connector 112, the connector 120, and a portion of the cable
133.
In the exemplary implementation of the connector 112 depicted in
FIG. 2A, may comprise a modular housing that may be operable to be
stacked, ganged and/or installed in a networking device a
space-efficient and/or uniform manner. Materials utilized for
housing of the Ethernet connectors 110 and/or 150 may vary. For
example, the housing may be made of non-conducting and/or
conducting materials such as plastic and/or metal. The Ethernet
connectors 112 and/or 120 may be shielded or unshielded.
The Ethernet connector 112 may be a receptacle connector that may
comprise a modular housing and the Ethernet connector 120 may be a
corresponding Ethernet connector which may be referred to as a
plug. The Ethernet connector 112 may comprise a keyed receptacle
area 204 and the Ethernet connector 120 may comprise a
complimentary exterior contour that may enable mating of the
connectors in a proper orientation such that the connectors are not
misaligned and/or damaged. The invention is not limited to any
specific shape of the keyed receptacle area 204 and/or of the
corresponding exterior contour of the Ethernet connector 120 and
any suitable shapes may be utilized.
In various configurations of the connector 112 and/or the connector
120, various components 202 may be integrated within and/or on the
connector 112 and/or the connector 120. The components 202 may
comprise, for example, integrated circuits and/or passive
components. In some instances, one or more of the components may
comprise a printed circuit board to which one or more other
components are soldered.
The Ethernet connector 112 may be configured to be coupled to a
circuit board in a communication device, to be installed in a patch
panel or a wall mount and/or to be coupled to a cable, for example.
The Ethernet connector 112 and/or the Ethernet connector 120 may
comprise dimensions that are smaller than a conventional Ethernet
connector, such as an eight position eight conductor (8P8C) modular
connector, often referred to as an RJ45 connector. In this regard,
the Ethernet connector 112 and/or the Ethernet connector 150 may be
small enough to be installed in a handheld device, such as a mobile
phone or smart phone. In another exemplary embodiment of the
invention, the Ethernet connector 112 and/or the Ethernet connector
120 may be small enough such that greater than 48 connectors or
connector modules may be installed in a 1 rack unit (RU) patch
panel or switch.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention a plurality of
connectors 112 may fit in a housing which would fit only one
conventional Ethernet connector. For example, referring to FIG. 2B,
there is shown a conventional Ethernet connector 212 and two
connectors 212A and 212B. The connector 212A may effectively
comprise two instances of connector 112 described above, and the
connector 212B may effectively comprise four instances of the
connector 112. Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment of the
invention, the connector 220A and/or the connector 220B may have
the same solder land pattern as an existing Ethernet connector. In
this manner, the connector 120A and the connector 120B may be
"dropped in" to an existing PCB designed to accept a conventional
Ethernet connector. Moreover, in instances that MAC functions and a
pair of Ethernet PHYs are integrated in the connector 120A,
replacing the connector 201 with the connector 212A, along with
some other minor retrofitting of the communication device, may
enable replacing a single Ethernet port with multiple Ethernet
ports. In other instances, one of the receptacles of the connector
212A may be only for charging and the other may be for Ethernet
communications.
Referring back to FIG. 2A, various configurations of the Ethernet
connectors 112 and/or 120 that may be operable to communicate at
higher data rates and/or may provide higher levels of performance
for a given rate, may be referred to as higher performance or
higher end configurations. Similarly, various configurations of the
Ethernet connectors 112 and/or 120 that may be operable to
communicate only at lower data rates and/or may provide lower
levels of performance for a given data rate, may be referred to as
lower cost or lower end configurations. For example, higher end
configurations of the Ethernet connectors 112 and/or 120, may
comprise a greater number of conductor contacts, may be made with
superior materials than lower end versions, may comprise shielding
and/or better grounding, and/or may have one or more components
202, for providing additional functionality, integrated
therein.
Although configurations of the Ethernet connectors 112 and/or 120
may vary, the various configurations may comprise the same or a
similar general form factor. When a pair of corresponding Ethernet
connectors 112 and 120 comprise the same or similar configurations,
the Ethernet connectors may be operable to be coupled and may
communicate at a data rate and/or at a level of performance that is
determined based on their similar configurations. In instances when
the coupled Ethernet connectors 112 and 120 may comprise different
configurations, for example, when one connector may comprise a
higher end configuration and the corresponding connector may
comprise a lower end configuration, the Ethernet connectors may be
operable to be coupled, however, they may only be operable to
communicate at a data rate and/or at a level of performance that is
supported by the lower end configuration. For example, the Ethernet
connectors 112 and 120 may each have 12 positions for pins.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating termination of twisted pairs in a
configurable Ethernet connector, in accordance with an embodiment
of the invention. Referring to FIG, 3, there is shown termination
of four twisted pairs 126.sub.1-126.sub.4 in a conventional
Ethernet connector 220 and in an exemplary configuration of the
connectors 120. Each of the twisted pairs 128.sub.1-126.sub.4 may
comprise a conductor x and a conductor y. In the connector 220, the
x and y conductors of twisted pair 126.sub.2 a terminated in
non-adjacent pins 219.sub.2 and 219.sub.5 which, when the
connectors 212 and 220 are mated, make contact with the pins
213.sub.2 and 213.sub.5, respectively. Conversely, the x and y
conductors of each of the twisted pairs 126.sub.1-126.sub.4 are
terminated in adjacent pins of the connector 120. Twisted pair
126.sub.1 is terminated in adjacent pins 119.sub.0 and 119.sub.1
which, when connectors 112 and 120 are mated, make contact with
pins 113.sub.0 and 113.sub.1, respectively. Twisted pair 126.sub.2
is terminated in adjacent pins 119.sub.2 and 119.sub.3, which, when
connectors 112 and 120 are mated, make contact with pins 113.sub.2
and 113.sub.3, respectively. Twisted pair 126.sub.3 is terminated
in adjacent pins 119.sub.4 and 119.sub.5, which, when connectors
112 and 120 are mated, make contact with pins 113.sub.4 and
113.sub.5, respectively. Twisted pair 126.sub.4 is terminated in
adjacent pins 119.sub.6 and 119.sub.7, which, when connectors 112
and 120 are mated, make contact with pins 113.sub.6 and 113.sub.7,
respectively.
FIG. 4A depicts a block diagram illustrating ganging together of
multiple connectors, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a networking device
102b comprising a plurality, X, of connectors 112, where X is an
integer greater than 1. The networking device 102b may be
substantially similar to the networking device 102a described
above. Each of the connectors 112.sub.1-112.sub.X, may comprise a
first interface 402 for coupling, via a printed circuit board, with
the other subsystems of the networking device 102b, interfaces 404L
and 404R for coupling with other connectors 112, and an interface
406 for coupling with a corresponding connector 120. In this
regard, the connectors 112 may be modular in that connectors 112
may be added or removed with lithe or no changes and/or
reconfiguration of the networking subsystem 106 and/or host
subsystem 104. For example, the connectors 112 may be "plug and
play" upon addition of a connector 112, the connector may be
enumerated with a unique address and controlled by the host
subsystem 104 via the signals 105 and/or one of the connectors 112
may assume the role of master and may control the remaining
connectors which may assume the role of slaves.
Each of the interfaces 402, 404, and 406 of a connector 112 may
comprise one or more contacts which may comprise, for example, pins
and/or solder bumps. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention,
the connector 112.sub.1 may be coupled to a data bus 117, and maybe
one or more voltage rails and/or control signals, via the interface
402 of the connector 112.sub.1. Also, the connector 112.sub.1 may
be coupled to connector 112.sub.2 via the interface 404L of the
connector 112.sub.1 and the interface 404R of the connector
112.sub.2. A connector 112.sub.3, if present, may be similarly
coupled to the connector 112.sub.2, a connector 112.sub.4 to the
connector 112.sub.3, and so forth, up to connector 112.sub.X. In
this manner, the connectors 112.sub.1-112.sub.x, may be coupled, or
"ganged," together in a daisy-chain fashion.
One advantage of coupling connectors together in this way is that
printed circuit board real-estate beneath or near the connectors
may not be needed for traces that run to the connectors 112 and may
thus be used for routing other traces. In combination with the
integration of components into the connector(s) 112, such a
configurable modular connector system may free up a large amount of
printed circuit board real-estate near where the connectors 112 are
mounted.
In various embodiments of the invention, various ones of the
connectors 112.sub.1-112.sub.X may be of various configurations.
For example, some may be high performance configurations and some
may be low cost configurations. As another example, some may have
integrated PoE and/or power management components and some may not.
Similarly, some may be have integrated components for participating
in management protocols and some may not.
FIG. 4B is a three dimensional view of an Ethernet connector which
may be ganged together with other connectors, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. The interface 402L of the connector
112 is shown in FIG. 4B. The size, shape, and number of contacts or
pins of the interface 402L is not limited to that depicted in the
figure.
FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating two ganged Ethernet connectors,
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to
FIG. 4C, it is shown how a first connector 112a may be coupled to a
second connector via the interfaces 402R of the connector 112a and
the interface 402L of the connector 112b. Although, FIG. 4C shows
the connectors 112a and 112b with some distance between them in
order to illustrate the contact of the interfaces, in various
embodiments of the invention, the wall of connector 112a may sit
flush with the wall of connector 112b.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an Ethernet
connector with an integrated solid-state switch, in accordance with
an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown
a front view of an exemplary Ethernet connector 112 comprising four
pairs of pins 504a-504d and a solid-state switch 502 integrated
within and/or on the Ethernet connector 112. Although, four pairs
of pins 504 are shown, any number of pins may be present for
interfacing to any number of twisted-pairs.
The solid-state switch 502 may comprise, for example, a discrete
integrated circuit or may be integrated on a common substrate with
other components, such as the Ethernet PHY 116. The Ethernet PHY
116 may be as described above and may comprise a plurality of ports
512. Although the PHY 116 is shown as comprising two ports, the
Ethernet PHY may comprise any number of ports.
In operation, the PHY 116 may configure the switch 502 to configure
which pin-pair 502 is coupled to which port 512. For example, in a
first configuration of the switch 502, port 512a may be coupled to
pin-pair 504a and port 512b may be coupled to port 512b, in a
second configuration of the switch 502, port 512a may be coupled to
pin-pair 504c and port 512b may be coupled to port 512d, and in a
third configuration of the switch 502, port 512a may be coupled to
pin-pair 504a and port 512b may be coupled to port 512d. The PHY
116 may determine which configuration to select based on, for
example, characteristics of the cable coupled to the connector 112
and/or characteristics of a link partner coupled to the connector
112 via a cable. For simplex communications, the Ethernet PHY 116
may configure the switch 502 to match the configuration of a link
partner. To illustrate, port 512a may be an ingress port and port
512c may be an egress port. Accordingly, the switch 502 may be
configured such that port 512a is coupled to a twisted pair on
which a link partner transmits and port 512b is coupled to a
twisted pair on which the link partner receives.
Various aspects of a method and system for a configurable connector
for Ethernet application may comprise an Ethernet connector 112
residing in an Ethernet enabled communication device 102a. The
connector 112 may couple the communication device 102a to one or
more twisted pairs 126 and enable communication of Ethernet frames
over the one or more twisted pairs 126. Conductors x and y of each
of the twisted pairs 126 may make contact with adjacent pins 113 of
the configurable Ethernet connector 112. A size and shape of the
configurable Ethernet connector 112 may enable housing more than 48
instances of the configurable Ethernet connector 112 in a single
standard size one rack unit face plate of a 19-inch rack. The
configurable Ethernet connector 112 may provide mechanical and
electrical indications that enable the device 102a and/or a remote
device coupled to the configurable Ethernet connector 112 to
determine configuration information of the configurable Ethernet
connector 112. The information may indicate presence or absence of
various components within and/or on the configurable Ethernet
connector 112. The components may comprise a memory device 150
which stores a configuration and/or capabilities of the
configurable Ethernet connector 112. The components may comprise an
Ethernet physical layer transceiver (PHY) 116. The components may
comprise one or more circuits and/or processors 118 and/or 154 that
are operable to manage supply power that may be sourced and/or
sinked via the connector. The components may comprise a solid-state
502 switch that is configurable via one or more control signals
510, and a configuration of the solid-state switch 502 may
determine which pins 113 of the Ethernet connector 112 are coupled
to which port(s) 512 of an Ethernet PHY 116. The one or more
control signals 510 are generated by the Ethernet PHY 116.
The configuration information may indicate whether the Ethernet
device 102a sources or sinks power. The configuration information
may indicate which ones of the twisted pairs 126 are to be utilized
for communicating the Ethernet frames. The configuration
information may indicate which ones of the twisted pairs 126 are to
be utilized for deliver of supply power. The configurable Ethernet
connector 112 may comprise one or more first interfaces 406 that
enable electrically coupling the connector to a cable assembly 133,
one or more second interfaces 402 that enable electrically coupling
the connector to a device that the connector is mounted within or
on, and one or more third interfaces 404 that enable electrically
coupling the configurable Ethernet connector 112 to a corresponding
one or more other configurable Ethernet connectors 112 that are
mounted on or within the device 102a. The configurable Ethernet
connector 112 may support one or more of 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T,
1GBASE-T, 10GBASE-T, 40GBASE-T, and 100GBASE-T.
Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transitory
computer readable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a
non-transitory machine readable medium and/or storage medium,
having stored thereon, a machine code and/or a computer program
having at least one code section executable by a machine and/or a
computer, thereby causing the machine and/or computer to perform
the steps as described herein for a configurable connector for
Ethernet.
Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,
software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present
invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one
computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different
elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems.
Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying
out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination
of hardware and software may be a general-purpose computer system
with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed,
controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods
described herein.
The present invention may also be embedded in a computer program
product, which comprises all the features enabling the
implementation of the methods described herein, and which when
loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods.
Computer program in the present context means any expression, in
any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended
to cause a system having an information processing capability to
perform a particular function either directly or after either or
both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or
notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.
While the present invention has been described with reference to
certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be
substituted without departing from the scope of the present
invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a
particular situation or material to the teachings of the present
invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is
intended that the present invention not be limited to the
particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention
will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *